Sickness
by Light1
Summary: Even a mortal life can be strange and cruel to a half blood vampire who's never encountered sickness.


**Sickness.**

Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to konami not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG-13

Part: one of one

Setting: Post SOTN

Authoress note: Life can be strange and cruel.

Alucard was confused. This in itself was not an unusual occurrence but his confusion was causing him pain. He did not understand why this was happening. What had caused it of even how it had happened? Sickness was always something that had never touched him, never had he watched someone he cared for sicken and die. But now it was happening and it was confusing, infuriating and frustrating. He had seen sickness before but it had always been at a distance. A figurative distance, he had held the hand of the dying but it had never been one he was connected with, and he had observed the illness and the sufferer with a cold clinical detachment. Maria's grandmother had been ill with some nameless disease, she had been old by mortal standards and the illness had killed her. But before she died there had been a great sense of discomfort in the small cottage, caused by the fact that the illness was apparently contagious. Maria had wept for days; Alucard had been confused for she said she was not weeping for the old lady's life but for the fact that she was alone.

"_She's all alone," Maria choked "no one is with her."_

"_That is what has upset you?" Alucard frowned, many of the deaths in the castle, at least those who had warning of their death, had been alone. The old going away to die and the sick following, it had been the way of things. But this fact was upsetting Maria, absently he listened to the sounds in the house and looked back to Maria "she is sleeping, she does not know that she is alone."_

"_She knows," Maria said determinedly "I want to go to her," She stood and moved to the room where the old lady lay. Alucard stopped her_

"_You will sicken yourself," he said firmly, his voice sounding a little like his fathers, cold and in command. "Your death will not make hers any better; she would be saddened if you were to die also." Maria was shaking at his words and when he finished speaking she fell to her knees._

"_But ... but I can't let her die alone," she wept. Alucard swallowed, he hated it when she cried, she was always so strong so full of life and energy that when she cried it felt like she was someone else. Almost like she was dying or dead and he could not stop it. An idea struck him and he smiled a little, knowing how to help Maria and ease her sadness._

"_I will go and sit with her if it will help you," he said slowly, Maria turned red eyes up to him questioningly "she does not know me well but if it will help you I will go to her and wait with her."_

"_But, you ... I don't want you to get sick," Maria started weeping again "I can't lose you as well," Alucard smiled._

"_It is a human illness," he spoke softly, "it cannot touch me."_

"_You are human," Maria said automatically, having had this discussion before. Alucard held up his hands in a gesture of comfort_

"_I have not been ill a day in my life, those of the blood cannot sicken," he sighed "I can sit with her and not suffer." He stood and helped Maria to her feet before turning to the room where a lady was dying._

"_Adrian," Maria called as he opened the door, he turned and lifted an eyebrow "Please hold her hand."_

Maria's grandmother had woken after a few moments of him entering the room. The fever had made her delirious and she had not recognised him, but his presence had comforted the old lady as she slipped slowly away. The lady had wept at not being able to see her granddaughter before she died but she seemed only half aware of what was really happening. Sometimes finishing conversations she had had years ago and asking for her husband who had predeceased her by five years. It had been sad but it had not truly touched him, the illness could not touch the blood but more than that he was detached from the death, he felt nothing; but he held her hand.

Now another was sick but he was not apart from it as he had always been. He understood now why Maria had wanted to be with her grandmother, why she had wept at her own helplessness and why it had hurt her so to lose one so slowly to such a sorrowful death. For now he was losing one he loved, one who had been with him since before he knew Maria, one who had accepted everything about him and had loved him despite it all.

"She's old," Maria said quietly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders "she is old and sick, it is nature's way."

"I do not care," Alucard snapped sullenly "she should not be dying." He knew he sounded like a child but he felt like one and didn't care.

"I'm sorry," Maria breathed her breath warm and moving his hair. Normally he loved her warmth, having so little of his own meant it was a joy to curl around her and let her warm him. But now it was a reminder of how hot the one he now held was. She was far hotter than Maria, the fever burning through her nearly making him uncomfortable where he held her.

"I will make her well," he said quietly, "I am cold, I can bring her fever down, she doesn't have to die." Maria watched him desperately trying to find a way to fight off death and felt herself begin to weep for his sadness. He looked at her his own tears falling, pink and bloodstained whereas hers were simply salt.

"I'll stay with you," she whispered, settling herself next to the man she loved, watching as one of those he loved died slowly next to them. She watched the rapid shallow breathing and the occasional twitch and knew they would not be waiting long. They were quiet for a long time before he spoke.

"Everyone I love dies," he said so quietly that she almost didn't hear it. She didn't know what to say to him, for she knew it was true, he was immortal and one day even she would sicken and die, or perhaps she would be taken from him more suddenly. She sighed watching as he tried to hold on to the life in his hands, she watched him as he failed. "I have always known this, it was a harsh lesson and I learned it at a young age."

"You did," she agreed, "but life was never meant to last forever." She said the words before she realised what she had said, but thankfully he didn't seem to notice.

"It hurts me to watch," he continued as if she hadn't spoken "but I cannot leave her," he swallowed heavily "I could end it all now, she is hurting and I can stop it ... but."

"I know," Maria answered, she had had the same thoughts when her grandmother had sickened, the illness was terrible, painful and slow but she had found herself unable to do anything but make the old lady comfortable. "But she knows you are here and I'm sure it comforts her." She sniffed as he began to shake "she loves you and I'm sure she would want to die with you holding her."

"I hope so," he managed. Then his bat, which had followed him for so long died. But she died in his hands and was not alone.

**End **


End file.
